“Well, is this so terrible?” Uncle Philip said cheerily.  “Who needs to let his wings droop?  Just think if you were in the place of the sick girl, who has no mother at all!  Can’t you let her have yours for a few days?  No?  Just think what is to follow.  Your mother will come down then and bring you a new playmate.  Leonore is friendly and charming and has sweeter manners than you have ever seen.  Kurt is sure to make dozens of songs about her and Mea will be carried away with enthusiasm for her.  Lippo will find an affectionate protectress in her who will be able to appreciate his little-recognized virtues.  Are you satisfied now?”

This speech really had splendid results.  All three were willing enough now to let the sick Leonore have their mother, and they were anxious besides to do everything in their power to make Leonore’s recovery speedy.  The uncle’s description of the new playmate had wakened such a lively sympathy in them that they were ready to assist him in many ways, and he was even obliged to cool their zeal.  As their guest was to remain such a short while, Uncle Philip suggested a walk in order to show him the surroundings, but when they looked around for Salo, they could not find either him or Bruno.

“They thought of the same thing,” Uncle Philip said.  “It will be great fun to hunt for them.”  So they started off.

Uncle Philip had guessed right.  Bruno had found his new friend so much to his liking that he wanted to keep him entirely to himself.  While the uncle had talked with the younger children, he had led Salo out to take him on a stroll in the beautiful sunset.  Salo was perfectly satisfied, too, as he felt himself likewise drawn towards Bruno.  In this short time the two boys had grown as confiding as if they had known each other for years and they were just then wandering towards the castle hill, absorbed in lively conversation.

“Can you guess why I am taking you up there?” Bruno suddenly asked, interrupting the talk.

“Because it is so lovely,” Salo replied quickly.

He had stopped walking and was looking across the flowering meadows towards the castle over which rosy clouds were floating on the bright evening sky.

“No, not for that reason,” said Bruno, “but because it belongs to an uncle of yours.”

Salo looked at him, full of astonishment.

“But Bruno, what an idea!” he called out laughing.  “That would not be so bad, but it can’t be true.  We only have one uncle, who has been living in Spain for a number of years and who expects to stay there.”

“The castle belongs to just that uncle who lives in Spain,” Bruno asserted.

He reminded Salo of the fact that their mothers had known each other while living in the castle and had grown to be such friends there.  Salo admitted this but was firmly persuaded that the castle had long since been sold and that his uncle would never come back, he had heard that from his great-aunt.  So Bruno had to agree with him that the castle had probably been sold, if the uncle did not think of returning.